A letter from the Mt Pleasant Blythedale UFSD school superintendent about the students who went through our program: MT. PLEASANT BLYTHEDALE U.F.S.D. 95 Bradhurst Ave., Valhalla, N. Y. 10595-1697 (914) 347-1800 Fax: 592-5484 ebergman@mpbschools.org BOARD OF EDUCATION Peter Rittmaster, President Patricia Stanley, Vice President William M. Cahn, III Owen Gutfreund, Ph.D. Michele Konner Christine E. Pawelski, Ed.D. B. Steven Polikoff Nancy Pundyk Leslie C. Soodak, Ph.D. April 1, 2009 Dr. Ellen Bergman, Superintendent Andrea Aitken, Clerk of the Board Dear Ms. DeLauné: Your description of the Spoken Interludes project at the Special Act Coalition meeting last year sparked my interest. The opportunity to have published authors teaching my students was very exciting. However, I had no inkling of the profound impact the program would have on the very special seventh and eighth grade students at Mt. Pleasant Blythedale School. Today we celebrated the achievements of the Spoken Interludes’ student authors and their mentors Marek Fuchs and Susan Stone. I’m sure you recognized the pride expressed in the voices and on the faces of the students. As patients at Blythedale Children’s Hospital, these adolescents have little control over their physical conditions. They have few opportunities to celebrate their individual creativity and bask in the admiration of their peers. S. who has Cerebral Palsy is reluctant to speak in public. Yet with great pride he read his narrative describing his feelings about attending a recent concert featuring his favorite musicians. L. who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta has strong feelings of nostalgia for her native country, the Dominican Republic. Spoken Interludes allowed her to give voice to those feelings and to share them with her peers. D. has Hemophilia and resisted coming to school, preferring to stay in his hospital bed playing video games. Reluctantly, he attended one Spoken Interludes class and then another and now school attendance is no longer an issue. J. has Guillan Barre and fatigues easily. He was angry about his illness and the resulting lengthy hospital stay. Spoken Interludes gave him the opportunity to imagine a world of strength and adventure, and regain some hope for his own future. Thank you for giving all of the students at MPB experiences they will treasure long after their bodies heal. You have nourished their souls and taught them life affirming skills. I hope that you will consider the students at Mt. Pleasant Blythedale UFSD as you plan for future Spoken Interludes programs. Sincerely, Ellen Bergman Superintendent of Schools EB/aa

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